TruckOSaurus said:
I hate LittleBigPlanet with a passion but I know it's not a bad game. The controls work, the building tools are plentiful, the community is vast, it's just not a game for me. If I were to review it (profesionnally) I couldn't slap a 3 on it just because I can't stand the floaty physics.
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I had a similarly negative experience with LittleBigPlanet, and I wouldn't rate it a 3 either, but if somebody were to offer me a clear and concise argument on why they believe the game should be scored 3/10, I would have no issue with that.
Speaking specifically about Jim Sterling's reviews, here are the closing bits:
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"From Dust has a level of charm to it, that cannot be denied. It's different, it's impressively designed, and a player could become addicted simply to watching magma roll down a hill. When the time comes to make an actual videogame of these gorgeous physics and unique ideas, however, From Dust falters with a considerable measure of inelegance.
There's just not enough content and too many restrictions for the game to be truly engaging. It keeps the player at arm's length, removes any motivation for feeling responsible and, at its very worst, annoys with persistent feelings of helplessness and characters who couldn't tell their arses from their elbows. The power to shape mountains and carve waterways would make for a wonderful gimmick in a more fleshed out game, but as a central concept it's just not strong enough to build an entire experience around. "
http://www.destructoid.com/review-from-dust-207068.phtml
"This is Bastion's main problem. It provides the illusion of depth and freshness, without really delivering any substance. There's a gorgeous soundtrack and bright visuals, but they serve only to garnish an unfulfilling blend of oversimplified button mashing and disconnected narrative, too blandly delivered to draw one in, and too vaguely presented to gain an emotional edge.
There is fun to be had with Bastion, most certainly, but my advice is to keep one's expectations low. If a player goes in expecting a simple dungeon crawler with little to offer besides mindless combat and the base joys of acquiring power, then one will leave quite satisfying. Expecting a revolutionary experience with dynamic narration and more than a few tugs on the heartstrings will, inevitably, lead to deflation. Bastionpresents the idea of a dynamic, engaging roleplaying experience, but the product itself is a far cry from its ambition.
Is the game worth playing? Certainly. It's a decent little adventure that will provide enough solid gameplay to be worth the money. Just make sure one expects no more than that, and it'll be a most worthy purchase.Bastion is fun enough for what it is, but it does not transcend to the levels that it would like you to believe it does."
http://www.destructoid.com/review-bastion-206398.phtml
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He isn't just saying "these games are bad!" He has found what he thinks are fundamental flaws with these two games, and his review and score reflect them accordingly. Someone else might have a totally different experience and rate these games higher or lower, and we, as consumers, should have no problem with game reviewers being unafraid to flaunt their opinions. Anything less would be sterile mush. It's impossible to rate a game objectively, so why try?